Assembly of members with connectors held from outside



June 2, 1959 r o. c. ECKEL 2,889,017

ASSEMBLY OF MEMBERS WITH CONNECTORS HELD FROM OUTSIDE Filed Jan. 4, 1957 BY MW ASSEMBLY OF MEMBERS WITH CONNECTORS HELD FROM OUTSIDE Oliver C. Eckel, Carlisle, Mass.

Application January 4, 1957, Serial No. 632,586

2 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to an assembly, such as an acoustical assembly, with connectors which join the panels or members, said connectors being held from outside the assembly.

Reference is made to my pending patent application, Serial No. 610,785, filing date September 19, 1956.

One object of my invention is to provide an assembly which has two or more acoustical members or panels, for instance, held together by a single connector and a pin member or the like, between two said members or panels. Said pin member is permanently held, as in a retainer imbedded in concrete, or welded at one end, to an attachment, and extends therefrom between two assembled members, being held by a nut or other fastening means to a single connector at the opposite end of said pin member.

In the use of test cells, and like rooms, where sound waves are to be absorbed, it is sometimes desirable to constitute a said member or panel of two complete half sections, and yet use only a single connector between them which extends only about one-half way between the outer and inner face surfaces of said panels. This provides an economical assembly since this one connector may be made to hold two complete panels together, with a pin member extending from outside said panels to and between said connector.

Another object is to provide such an assembly that is attractive in appearance, and is formed of parts that can be economically manufactured and which are simple to assemble and disassemble.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of my assembly, the assembled panels being shown broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of my assembly.

As illustrated, an acoustical member or panel is shown, which is a structural member sometimes used to form a wall, ceiling, floor or the like. It is provided with mineral wool or sound absorbing material 12 between two oppositely disposed enclosure sheets 13 and 15, which are formed of a suitable material such as eighteen gauge galvanized sheet metal, for instance. Said enclosure sheet 13 has a face portion 14, which is the inner face, from one end of which an integral side portion 18 angularly extends, as shown. From this side portion a short extension or attaching flange 20 extends horizontally outward, in position of use, as shown, at a point intermediate Patented June 2, 1859 ice the outer and inner faces of said panel 10. Said enclosure sheet 15 has a face portion 16, which is the outer or exposed face, from one end of which an integral side portion 22 angularly extends towards said side portion 18. From the latter a short extension or attaching flange 24 extends horizontally. as shown, alongside said flange 20, so that said flanges 20 and 24 are associated as a pair, and may be bolted together, as at 25, or otherwise joined as by welding.

The face 16 of the enclosure sheet 15, which latter is shown as the outer one in position of use, has perforations P therein, such as inch holes, and said face 14 of the inner sheet 13 may have them if there is space or provision behind it that would help absorb sound waves. If the panels 10 are against masonry walls, for instance, the perforations in the inner panel face 14 would be omitted.

If three or more panels 10 are connected, then both sides of any panel placed in an intermediate position will be provided with said attaching flanges.

Since a plurality of panels 10 are used in forming a wall or the like, they are firmly connected by means of a U- shaped connector 28. The latter has a bridge or cross member 30 that is preferably flush, at its outer surface, with said outer face portions 16. At opposite sides of said bridge member 30, two legs 32 and 34 extend, one of which contacts a said flange 24 of a said panel 10, and the other leg contacts another said flange 24 of another said panel 10. Thus said flanges 24 provide bearing surfaces.

T o firmly hold said U-shaped connector 28 in the afore mentioned position of use, I provide a pin member, shown as a bolt 36, one end of which extends and connects with a retainer 38, in predetermined position, which retainer is imbedded in concrete C or other permanent material. This bolt 36 extends between said panels 10 to and through a hole 39 in said cross or bridge member 30, and a nut 40 is screw-threadedly attached to said bolt outside of said cross member 30. Since said bolt is held in said retainer 38 at its inner end, and is held tight at the outside end by said nut 40, said connector 28 is firmly held in position with its two legs 32 and 34 firmly bearing on said flanges 24. This holds said panels 10 in predetermined, assembled position. There is a U-shaped connector 28 and bolt 36 used wherever two said side portions 18 and 22 are opposite and adjacent each other.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, a modified, structural member or panel 44 is shown that is a single unit instead of being formed of two half sections as previously described. It may be of any desired thickness. Each said structural member 44 has an outer face portion 46, a side portion 48, shown integral therewith, from which a short extension or flange 50 integrally extends laterally outward at the rear or inner extremity of said panel 44. Said panels 44 may be closed by an inner or rear member 52 which contacts said flanges 50, and which retains said sound absorbing material 12 in said structural member 44.

A U-shaped connector 28 extends from the outer face portion 46 to a point adjacent the inner or rear of said panel 44, its said legs 3?. bearing on said flanges S0.

A said bolt 36 is retained in said retainer 38, as previously explained, and it extends through a hole in said rear member 52 and between said connector legs 32 and through said bridge member 30, being held firmly in place by a said nut 40 outside said bridge member.

What I claim is:

1. An acoustical assembly comprising two structural members and a connector between them, each said member embodying two face portions which latter are spaced from and opposite each other, two side portions exending from said face portions towards each other and two flange portions extending from said side portions angularly and assaow positioned alongside and adjacent each other, means holding said flange portions together, sound absorbing material between said face portions, said connector embodying two legs and a bridge portion between and connecting said two legs, one said leg extending towards and contacting a said flange portion of a said structural member, and another said leg extending towards and contacting a said flange portion of another said structural member, and a pin member extending inwardly beyond said structural members, means holding said pin member extending part in fixed position, said pin member extending between said legs and through said bridge portion, and means firmly holding said pin member to said bridge portion.

2. An acoustical assembly comprising two structural members and a connector between them, each said member embodying two enclosure members one having an inner, and the other an outer, face portion which are spaced from and opposite each other, a side portion extending angularly from a said face portion, said side portions extending towards each other, and a flange portion extending angularly from said side portion, a pair of said flange portions of each structural member being positioned alongside and adjacent each other one being outwardly of the other, means holding said flange portions together in pairs, sound absorbing material between said face portions, said connector embodying two legs, and a bridge portion between and connecting said two legs at end extremities thereof and positioned between and adjacent two said outer face portions, one said leg extending towards and contacting an outer said flange portion of a said structural member, and another said leg extending to and contacting an outer said flange portion of another said structural member, and a pin member having a portion extending inwardly beyond said structural members, means holding said pin member extending portion in fixed position, said pin member extending from said fixed position between said legs and through said bridge portion, and means bearing against and firmly holding said pin member to said bridge portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 694,583 Seefels Mar. 4, 1902 2,519,162 Tucker Aug. 15, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,941 Great Britain June 17, 1953 

